When Digital Image Files are Left in a Shoebox for Too Long

[neurolurker]

small HI CLR TST 6 [88297 clrs].jpg (144.21 KiB) Viewed 3255 times

While I should think all of this is self-explanatory [ ... Enjoy! ... ] I don't and so proceed with caution: Beware! Be very ware.

When Digital Image Files are Left in a Shoebox for Too Long [16726 clrs].png (248.5 KiB) Viewed 3255 times

Sentimental Alternate Title: When Hard Drives Grow Weary and All the Digital Colors Fade from Life.

[racer-x]

What is the point you are trying to make, or is it just a joke? Digital files are comprised on Ones and Zeros and don't change unless they get corrupted.

[Blighty II]

1. Open computer
2. Remove hard drive
3. Open hard drive
4. Remove storage discs
5. Spray storage discs with photographic fixative (available from Kodak)
6. Reassemble (steps 1 to 5 in reverse order)
Problem solved

[Tas_mania]

This reminds me of 'bit rot'. I came across it when researching the ZFS file system on my new Ubuntu install. It's a real thing apparently.
I went with the XFS file system for a change. When I shut-down my computer business I was left with a 3 terabyte hard disk that I used for a few years although it was getting file system corruption. Repairable but tedious. I've now got a very reliable 2Tb disk drive and no corruption issues.

Hi Neuro - I'm doing an animation that avoids things you don't like
Will post soon.

[neurolurker]

racer-x, Blighty II, Tas_mania: Dear Friends in the Distance, thank you so much for your replies to this post left in the draft for too long.

racer-x, bless your heart. It didn't occur to me at the time but I should have been specifically clear in some way that the post was "for entertainment purposes only." There is a very old digital photography program called "virtualstudio" and one of the effects is called "Shoe box" which turns a regular photo into the image of a discolored and grainy film negative. While playing with creating CLUTs in GIMP I got one that seemed to have a similar color-distress effect, memory-tripped into virtualstudio, thought "Ahha, this is a digital version of that 'film left in a shoe box for too many years effect' " I have a lot of real film negative that looks like that, actually, and thought the juxtaposition of "corruptible" film and "incorruptible" digital media was funny and quickly made an example and posted it. That you were genuinely willing to try to help a possibly deluded newbie, who was in this case being a class clown, says much about what it means to be a genuine teacher in the world. Gimp Chat is lucky to have you.

Blighty II, thanks for the advice, but I must have done something wrong at some step ... the computer won't boot up any more and godamighty it smells funny ... did all those pieces really have to go back in?

Tas-mania, I remember reading years ago that while users often expected digital media to somehow last forever, it really does degenerate over time (even though it's on plastic). I had never heard the term "bit rot" before but immediately wanted to appropriate it as the basis for a new view of the world, or at least another alias.

When trying to think of how to label any further watercooler entertainment pieces I might post, I thought of calling them "whimsicals." What came to mind then was your "Picasso takes a drive" animation. I imagined a penny-farthing-style bicycle with spinning triangle wheels within wheels. Whymcycles! Multiple puns! But since that time I have found there is a television commercial that actually shows an ancient vehicle with triangle wheels. Since that time I have also found in Wikipedia an entry for "Eccentric-hub scooter," one of which is actually called a "whymcycle."

It seems there's nothing I can imagine that isn't real somewhere.

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BUSINESS PLAN: I believe I will use this thread as the place where I will post any further whimsies, fancies, fantasies and that I'm concerned may get out of mind.

DISCLAIMER: The following images, all made possible in whole or part by GIMP, are presented for the propagation of entertainment only. Proceed with appropriate appropriateness.

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ID Proposed pre-production poster art for PKD - Wheatfield - No Crows project with no text. A Bitrot Heresay Production.jpg (703.62 KiB) Viewed 2581 times

[sallyanne]

Didn't see this post before and I assume it is just talking about colour of photos (can you tell I haven't read right through yet?).
I have noticed that photos and pictures also seem to become smaller over time and not just on computers, even on websites?
But then the websites I have always used are free storage or WYSIWYG sites

[neurolurker]

Sallyanne, thanks for looking in and commenting. Curious you should mention that website images seem to be smaller. The pixel size of the original PKD image above is 1704x1000. Not quite full screen on the computer I use. When I uploaded it, I assumed it would be about that size, but I was surprised to find the display is actually much smaller even with the Firefox browser set for full screen. (Dash! All the details I labored over are smooshed.) Downloading the displayed image from the site and opening it, the original size is retained.

Like always, I thought it was just me.

[Tas_mania]

"Picasso takes a drive" animation

I haven't made much progress in a year. This one could be 'Timothy Leary takes a drive'

[neurolurker]

Tas_mania, thanks always for the lift in spirits ... a vehicle being endlessly filled with the road it's driving over ... now that's, ummm, traveling.